Posted on 09/30/2002 9:19:01 AM PDT by PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain
VENTURA, Calif. -- Pollster George Barna, known these days as the bearer of bad tidings about the state of Christianity in America, arrived in his office a few minutes late for a 10 a.m. appointment.
His hair was ruffled; his eyes puffy. Shoulders slouched. Being the George Gallup of the conservative evangelical world is a heavy burden for Barna, who often works into the early morning, deciphering numbers generated by his surveys to find church trends.
The 48-year-old author of 30 books, who describes himself as a raging introvert, is a popular national speaker. And he produces enough in-your-face statistics and blunt talk to irritate pastors, cost him business and earn a reputation for having, as one magazine put it, "the gift of discouragement."
His data undercut some of the core beliefs that should, by definition, set evangelicals apart from their more liberal brethren. Findings of his polls show, for example, that:
• The divorce rate is no different for born-again Christians than for those who do not consider themselves religious.
• Only a minority of born-again adults (44 percent) and a tiny proportion of born-again teenagers (9 percent) are certain that absolute moral truth exists.
• Most Christians' votes are influenced more by economic self-interest than by spiritual and moral values.
• Desiring to have a close, personal relationship with God ranks sixth among the 21 life goals tested among born-agains, trailing such desires as "living a comfortable lifestyle."
'Are people's lives being transformed" by Christianity? Barna has asked. "We can't find evidence of a transformation."
Even Barna's toughest critics concede that Barna Research Group's polls carry considerable weight because of his first-rate surveying techniques and his 17-year-long record of tracking church and cultural trends.
His work has been used by major companies (Ford Motor Co. and Walt Disney, for example) and religious organizations such as the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and World Vision.
"He is the accepted authority on church trends," said Bob Cavin, director of the Texas Baptist Leadership Center. "He gives pastors insight, not only into the effectiveness of the church, but with trends in society that help the pastors with their strategic planning."
Because of his influence, many are watching with interest as Barna branches out from his usual business. He has been preoccupied with quantifying contemporary Christian beliefs, attitudes and practices; comparing them with biblical truths; and delivering the results to pastors, Christian leaders and laity. He said that he once hoped his analyses would be used as building blocks for more relevant churches.
But he decided this year to take a more active role by helping to identify and develop new and better church leaders who will boldly go where their predecessors haven't gone before: to radically revamp the church. He said he believes the process will take decades -- generations -- to complete.
"One of our challenges is to revisit the structures and means through which people experience Christ," Barna said. "People have been talking about developing the 'new church' for the past several decades, but nothing new has been forthcoming."
According to Barna, pastors are great teachers, but not necessarily adept at leadership. To back up his claim, he cited one of his own polls: It showed that only 12 percent of senior pastors say they have the spiritual gift of leadership and 8 percent say they have the gift of evangelism. In contrast, two-thirds say they have the gift of teaching or preaching.
"We, not God, have created a system that doesn't work and that we're reluctant to change."
Barna also is in the early stages of establishing a genuine and appealing Christian presence in secular entities: film, music, media and politics. He has identified these as the institutions that hold the most influence over Americans.
What's needed are "skilled professionals who love Christ and model his ways through their thoughts, words and behavior in enviable and biblically consistent ways," he said.
For Barna, the need for better leadership and better Christian role models in the secular world was underscored by a poll he released this month.
9/11 opportunity lost
The survey showed that the Sept. 11 attacks had virtually no lasting effects on America's faith, despite a 20 percent rise in church attendance during the first few weeks afterward.
"We missed a huge opportunity," he said, adding that, because of their own shallow faith, church regulars needed so much reassurance themselves that they couldn't minister to newcomers.
This kind of comment bothers evangelical Christians.
Mike Regele, author of "The Death of the Church," is one of many who believe the Barna Research Group's statistical work is excellent, but the conclusions drawn by the company's founder are too harsh.
The hypocrisy of Christians, Regele said, "has been a part of the church, probably since the day of Pentecost" and doesn't indicate its collapse.
"It sounds like he's very, very angry at the church," said Regele, a church critic himself who is ultimately an optimist. "There are reasons to be disappointed, but scripture never said we'd be perfect. We shouldn't view the whole institution as a failure."
With each new Barna poll or book, the attacks begin again: He's too negative; he has it in for pastors; he's arrogant.
The criticism "would affect any human being," said Barna, a husband and father of two. "We all want to be loved and accepted by others, but we also have a higher calling to which we each must be true."
Barna said he has learned painfully that giving advice on how to revitalize churches in America is a hugely complex proposition that doesn't fit well into sound bites. He has learned to be more guarded.
Although his statistics often show self-described Christians living lives no different from those of atheists, Barna's faith never has wavered.
"The issue isn't whether Jesus or Christianity is real," he said. "The issue is, are Americans willing to put Christ first in their lives?
Good choice! I cited verse 26.
angelo: Joshua chooses to serve the Lord. How do you propose that he was able to do this?
CCWoody: He found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
angelo: How did he do that?
BigMack
Did God want Adam and Eve to sin? Did God want Cain to kill Abel? Did God want Israel to disobey His commandments?
BigMack
True.
All we have to do is never sin, and keep the Law perfectly at every point without fault and we will merit a true holiness before God.
Nope, God knew we would sin. That's why He gave us a Day of Atonement, and told us He would forgive us if we repented.
James 2:10 states, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
This is not a teaching of the Torah. If you were guilty of stealing, should you be stoned for adultery?
If you attempt to keep the Law and fail, if you stumble at one point, you will spend eternity under the wrath of God for being disobedient to His Law.
Maybe we do worship two different Gods... My God forgives us when we stumble and repent. My God is just, and does not punish us infinitely for a finite sin.
Yes, once they have repented and atoned for their sins.
Oh, I'll keep praying anyway. God has "absolute sovereignty", after all. You're predestined to be a convert, Mom. ;o)
What is the promise of Deut 32:21, elaborated by Paul in Romans 10:19?
Why "seed" in Gen 3:15 and not "seeds"?
First, like I stated in my disclaimer, I don't believe that these will lead a person directly to Jesus Christ (the One True God) and a saving faith in Him. Of course I believe that God Himself has revealed Himself to His creation through various means (i.e. creation itself, Jesus Christ His Son, the Holy Sprit, the Bible as the Word of God, etc...) Not my intention to suggest that world religions contain the "truth".
On the other hand, no anthropologist has ever stumbled across a tribe of atheists. We all have a God-sized hole in us, and I see most world religions trying to somehow fill that hole. I think it is overly simplistic to dismiss all beliefs other than Judaism or Christianity as man "worshipping himself".
Besides, can you really look at almost 2000 years of Christian iconography which portrays Jesus Christ with white skin, blue eyes and blond hair and say that Christians themselves are not just as guilty of making God into their own image?
A Psalm of David, 110: The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
WHO is David's Lord? Can't be David.
I am not interested in "unpacking the thing". I am merely saying that it is oversimplistic to reduce major world religions to just men "worshiping themselves." If I wasn't a Christian, I would certainly take any argument you could possibly have to support your thesis and turn it right round and show you that, in those very same respects, your Judeo-Christian God is just a big version of you.
Do you really think Jesus Christ had white skin, blue eyes and blond hair?
You cannot just declare them not to be mutually exclusive. If that is your position, then you need to explain how this can be so.
This is a fair question. The best answer that I can give is Joseph's comment to his brothers in Gen 50:20,
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
Sinful men always will their evil intentions to accomplish their own, selfish plans. God however, has His own sovereign motives that accomplish good. I should point out that as creator of the universe, God is the standard of goodness, because he declares himself to be so. There is no external standard of goodness by which to judge God. That is the folly of autonomous man, who wants to set himself up to judge God. We must always remember that we are finite, created beings with limited understanding. God is infinite and knows all things fully. Who are you or I to judge God?? I simply accept His revelation. There is adequate evidence, like the resurrection of Jesus Christ, to suggest that the revelation of God is completely trustworthy.
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